Employment

Protect your business and your people. Effectively manage employment risks, safeguard your reputation and position yourself as an employer of choice.

How we can help

Employment laws and regulation are complex and keep changing. From the pre-employment stage throughout your talent lifecycle through to termination, there's the potential for mis-steps that can have serious consequences. That includes costly disputes with employees and unions, regulator engagement, prosecutions, the imposition of penalties and reputational damage. All this has a ripple impact on existing and prospective customers, employees and business partners.  

That’s why we focus on your business and people, helping you identify legally sound and commercially practical solutions. Our goal is to de-risk your business by solving compliance issues within the context of your operations and objectives. This extends to protecting your business from the threat of employee non-compliance with contractual obligations - including confidential information, intellectual property and post-employment restrictions.

With a proven track record representing leading Australian and multinational companies, government bodies and senior executives, we bring a valuable perspective covering all aspects of employment law and industrial relations.

Services

With a deep understanding of how employment laws will be interpreted and enforced, we’ll provide practical advice to effectively manage people and workplace risks.

Employment litigation

Representing you in Fair Work Act and related workplace disputes, including unfair dismissal, discrimination, WHS and general protections and contractual claims.

Employment investigations and whistleblowing

Best practice compliance and investigations relating to employee misconduct, fraud, corruption, discrimination, harassment and bullying.

Confidential information and post-employment restraints

We advise on theft of confidential information, IP and data and cases of breach by employees of post-employment non-competition and non-solicitation restraints.

Transactions impacting employees

We advise on transfer of business issues and industrial relations advice arising from M&A, restructuring and insolvencies, outsourcing and insourcing.

Workplace compliance and regulator engagement

Corporations Act and ASX Listing Rules, including termination benefits, and regulator engagement including Fair Work Ombudsman, state WHS, and long service leave bodies.

Work health and safety

Guidance on incident management, safety policy reviews, investigations and enforceable undertakings. We also represent clients in prosecutions.

Workplace relations

We act on all forms of workplace relations issues, including enterprise agreements and HR advisory.

Termination issues

We advise on performance management and employment termination including complex senior executive terminations, redundancies, and misconduct and performance terminations.

Employment experience

A big four bank

On a significant whistleblower investigation relating to alleged misconduct, including breach of the Corporations Act.

A leading Australian private equity firm

On a whistleblower disclosure, including the investigation and subsequent actions.

An Australian online retailer

On a workplace investigation into alleged misconduct of four senior employees.

A listed copper mining company

Regarding a whistleblower investigation relating to allegations of misconduct by the company’s Chair.

A listed coal mining company

In relation to three separate whistleblower investigations.

A global infrastructure provider

On an investigation into allegations against senior executives and investigations into sexual harassment, discrimination, serious code of conduct breaches and bullying allegations.

Woolworths

On a transaction involving the transfer of employees and complex enterprise agreement issues.

Telstra

On the employment aspects of its acquisition, in partnership with the Australian Government, of Digicel Pacific, the biggest mobile operator in the South Pacific region.

TPG Capital

On the employment aspects of its acquisition of InvoCare, including preparing new executive contracts for the incoming leadership team.

Deliveroo

On its exit from the Australian market, including negotiations with the Transport Workers Union.

eBay

On the employment aspects of its Australian acquisitions, including Cars Guide and Sneakercon.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

On employment aspects of the sale of SPC Group by way of asset sale and associated redundancy issues.

A large childcare provider

In relation to an investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman following a self-disclosure of historical underpayment.

An insurance company

In relation to instances of non-compliance under applicable enterprise agreements.

A data business founder

In relation to a warranty claim by the new owners alleging historical underpayment of employees prior to completion of the acquisition.

A clothing retailer

In a general protections claim in the Fair Work Commission involving allegations of age discrimination.

A listed technology company

In relation to responding to information requests from ASIC regarding its regulatory investigation into a whistleblower complaint.

Three Australian banks

In relation to applications to the Fair Work Commission regarding enterprise arrangements for a digital payments venture.

An ASX listed automotive dealer

On a WHS matter relating to a workplace fatality.

Vocus Group

On an audit of its WHS policies, processes and systems from a legal risk and management perspective and making recommendations across a range of issues critical to WHS risk management.

A mining equipment company

In relation to a workplace fatality and the WorkSafe investigation conducted by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS).

Asahi

On various employment and workplace health and safety matters.

A multi-national IT company

In a claim brought by an employee who had received workers compensation since late 2014, for alleged excessive hours of work.

A printing company

In relation to the negotiation of an enforceable undertaking with SafeWork NSW regarding a safety incident involving a contract delivery driver being struck by a forklift.

Nuix

On a claim commenced by a former senior executive regarding their termination and a disputed transaction bonus.

Elecnor Australia

A dispute with the Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia.

An investment bank

Management of a sexual harassment claim, best practice for management and recommended steps.

A funds manager

A complex general protections claim brought by a former executive. They claimed various entitlements, including shares allegedly held by the former employee.

Rema Tip Top

Defending a claim in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia by a senior manager alleging unlawful adverse action regarding a workplace investigation commenced into the senior manager.

Westpac

On two successful applications under the Fair Work Act to the Fair Work Commission to stop the transfer of an enterprise agreement as part of a transfer of business.

A global infrastructure provider

Against three former employees, their new employer, its parent company and two of its directors for breach of fiduciary duty and the theft of confidential information.

An Australian and US contract research organisation

In relation to a considerable confidential information data theft involving its former employee.

An aviation company

In proceedings seeking relief relating to allegations of a large-scale confidential information theft involving several hundreds of thousands of documents and gigabytes of data.

IOOF (now Insignia Financial)

In a claim in the Victorian Supreme Court alleging a breach by a former employee of post-employment restraints.

A recruitment agency

Against a former contractor and an entity she established in obtaining an order for the preservation of evidence and the creation of forensic copies of all remaining devices within the possession of each of the defendants.

An investment group

In successfully pursuing a default judgment against a former contractor for forensic investigation costs involved in the retrieval of its confidential information.

A big four accounting firm

In an investigation relating to allegations of misconduct by a senior partner in respect of unfair dismissal proceedings.

GrainCorp

In relation to a complex and sensitive executive termination.

A US private equity firm

In relation to the termination of the CEO of a portfolio company.

An Australian private equity firm

On employment matters, including the hiring, termination and restraint matters concerning its executives.

A data centre operator

In relation to the termination of the CFO including Corporations Act termination benefit provisions.

A steel manufacture

In preparing a board policy dealing with managing the termination of the executive leadership team.

Awards